Second Stage News

Four-time Emmy Award-winner and Tony Award nominee Valerie Harper returns to Hartford to kick off the National Tour of Matthew Lombardo's madcap comedy LOOPED, January 24-February 6, 2013 at The Belding Theatre at The Bushnell. The original Broadway production will again be directed by Rob Ruggiero.

For the first time ever, Cape May Stage presents two-time Tony-winning Christine Ebersole and jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein on Monday, July 30 at 8 p.m. for an evening showcasing new arrangements of classic songs by Fats Waller, Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, and Cannonball Adderley.

Barrington Stage Company, the award-winning theatre in downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Julianne Boyd, Artistic Director, and Tristan Wilson, Managing Director, will present the East coast premiere of The North Pool by Rajiv Joseph, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. Directed by Giovanna Sardelli, The North Pool will run July 26 through August 11 at BSC's St. Germain Stage (formerly Stage 2) with an Opening performance on Sunday, July 29 at 3pm. St. Germain Stage is located on the upper level of the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center, 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield.

Playhouse Theatre Inc. presents CAROUSEL playing now through to the 21st at Playhouse Theatre, Auckland.

The cast of Rasaka's production features Chicago actors Mouzam Makkar and Tim Martin. Makkar, a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf, just finished a run in Sarah Ruhl's Melancholy Play with Grey Ghost Theatre. Recent Chicago credits include The Fever Chart: Four Visions of the Middle East (Eclipse Theatre), 1001 (Collaboraction), Here Where It's Safe (Stage Left Theatre, where she is an Ensemble Member), Twelfth Night (First Folio Theatre), Yoni Ki Baat (Rasaka Theatre), Cut to the Quick: Atom Smashers (the side project), and Seven (Silk Road Theatre). Martin, also a graduate of the School at Steppenwolf, was most recently seen in the touring production of Letters Home with Griffin Theatre. Other recent Chicago credits include Motion (Signal Ensemble), Lighthousekeeping (New Leaf Theatre), and Wreckage(Caffeine Theatre). In February 2013, he will be understudying the Chicago premiere of another Rajiv Joseph play, Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo, at Lookingglass.

Tonight is the opening night of the Adirondack Theatre Festival's production of Next to Normal directed by Mark Fleischer, ATF's Artistic Producing Director. The Cast includes Broadway's Sarah Litzsinger as Diana, and Bret Shuford as Dr. Madden. Other Cast members include Billy Clark Taylor as Dan, Mandy Leigh Thompson as Natalie, and Noah Zachary as Henry.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: LA welcomes THE EXORCIST, DOGFIGHT hits Second Stage, Christian leaves STARCATCHER, and so much more!

Piper Theatre's free production of the musical 'Xanadu' premieres at the Old Stone House tonight, July 5. This will be the first time 'Xanadu' is performed in Brooklyn, and where better to have an all-rollerskating cast, belting out an ELO soundtrack, than outdoors, in a park, in summer? Second Stage will also feature an original adaptation of H.G. Wells' 'Island of Dr. Moreau,' premiering July 7, continuing Piper's tradition of scary stories on summer nights

Second Stage Theatre presents the world premiere musical, DOGFIGHT. Previews began June 27 in anticipation of a July 16 opening. The cast features Nick Blaemire (Godspell), Annaleigh Ashford (Rent, Wicked, Legally Blonde), Becca Ayers (The Addams Family, Avenue Q), Steven Booth (Glory Days), Dierdre Friel (Leap of Faith), Adam Halpin (Glory Days), F. Michael Haynie (Carrie), Derek Klena (Carrie), Lindsay Mendez (Godspell, Second Stage's Everyday Rapture), James Moye (Million Dollar Quartet), and Josh Segarra(Lysistrata Jones). Get a first look at DOGFIGHT with Annaleigh Ashford, Josh Segarra and more in the photos below!

Diverse City Theater Company ("DCT") today announced the complete cast for its summer season offering of Two Rooms by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award nominee Lee Blessing, directed by Jamie Richards. The production opens for a limited run on Thursday, August 9th at 8PM at Theatre Row's The Lion Theatre located at 410 West 42nd Street in New York City. Performances run thru Saturday, August 25th. Tickets are $19.25 and can be purchased on Telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200.

Cape May Stage will welcome another Broadway legend to the Robert Shackleton Playhouse. On Monday, July 23rd at 8pm, Faith Prince brings her critically-acclaimed one woman show Total Faith to Cape May.

Cape May Stage, South Jersey's premiere Equity theatre, is thrilled to launch another stellar season of their Second Stage Broadway Series with acclaimed star of stage and screen, Anthony Rapp in Anthony Rapp LIVE. On Monday, July 2nd at 8:00 p.m., Rapp brings his singular brand of cabaret to the Robert Shackleton Playhouse at the corner of Bank and Lafayette Streets in beautiful downtown Cape May.

Victory Gardens Theater Artistic Director Chay Yew and Executive Director Jan Kallish announce the new plays selected for the company's 2012 IGNITION Festival. The selected plays are: Seven Spots on the Sun by Martin Zimmerman; The Shotgun Message by A. Rey Pamatmat; Samsara by Lauren Yee; Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and The Curious Walk of the Salamander by Kirsten Greenidge. VG Playwrights Ensemble Member Marcus Gardley will join the selected group as a Playwright-in-Residence. Gardley will spend his time researching and drafting his upcoming play Chicago is Burning.

Though Ann Arbor's professional theatre is still in the thick of its record-breaking 30th anniversary season, Performance Network has lined up seven exceptional plays and musicals for its 31st, to begin in the fall.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater is delighted to announce that Aaron Posner returns to The Rep to direct A Christmas Carol, performed annually at the historic Pabst Theater. Posner directed The Rep's To Kill a Mockingbird, which broke all-time attendance records last season, as well as the lyrical, beautifully-realized production of My Name is Asher Lev in 2010. This will be the first time that Posner has directed A Christmas Carol at Milwaukee Rep.

Italian American Rep. Co. and Cliffside Park Arts Council present 'Love Letters' by A. R. Gurney, starring Robert Arcaro and Joanne Guarnaccia. Love Letters is directed by John Fedele. The show is presented for two nights only - June 29th & 30th. $20 at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 555 Palisade Ave, Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Wine and cheese reception to follow. For tickets call - 201-708-6673.

Victoria Clark, Harriet Harris, Ann Harada and Peter Bartlett will join Laura Osnes as Cinderella and Santino Fontana as the Prince in a workshop of the new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA August 2nd and 3rd in New York, it has been announced by the musical's producer Center Theatre Group in association with Robyn Goodman, Stephen Kocis and Jill Furman.

The Carolina Actors Studio Theatre (CAST) announces its 2012 - 2013 Season Auditions.

In response to overwhelming demand, amid extraordinary critical acclaim, Soho Rep, in association with John Adrian Selzer, extends the world premiere of CHEKHOV'S UNCLE VANYA-the new version by playwright Annie Baker, directed by Sam Gold-through August 26.